NCC Issues Statement On Etisalat Nigeria Takeover, Banks Meeting Vodacom/Vodafone For Sale

With the takeover of Etisalat Nigeria by consortium of banks in Nigeria,  the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC,has issued a statement reassuring subscribers of continued service integrity from the network.

My Tony Ojobo, NCC Director, Public Affairs, issued a statement late Tuesday, that reads in parts:

The Commission has taken proactive steps to cushion the impact of the takeover. This is without prejudice to the ongoing effort between Etisalat and the banks toward negotiated settlement.

In view of the recent development, NCC wishes to reassure all stakeholders in the telecommunications sector in particular the subscribers on the Etisalat Network that the Commission will ensure that the integrity of Etisalat Network is not compromised

The statement also reminded Etisalat and the banks what they cannot do with the collapsed company, owing to the conditions attached to the licensing.

“Sub section 1 – The grant of a license shall be personal to the licensee, and the license shall not be operated by, assigned, sub-licensed or transferred to another party unless the prior written approval of the Commission has been granted;

Sub section 2 – A licensee shall at all times comply by the terms and conditions of the license and the provision of this Act and its subsidiary legislation.

This means that any change in Etisalat Nigeria license must be approved by NCC. It also means that rumored plan for the bank to sell to an European telecom operator may not happen without the blessing of NCC. An European telecom giant has been in Nigeria since last week working with the banks for possible sale. Vodacom/Vodafone is  rumored to be the firm.